Cameron Beminio, son of slain Des Moines police officer, advances at state wrestling

Last year was dedicated to his dad, fallen Sgt. Anthony Beminio, but this year Cameron Beminio is wrestling to carve out his own path on the mat.
Brian Powers, Rodney White/The Register

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Belmond-Klemme's Cameron Beminio wins his match against Louisa-Muscatine's Gabs Hayes during the first round of the Iowa high school state wrestling championship on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, in Wells Fargo Arena. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register )Buy Photo

Cameron Beminio, one of the best Class 1A heavyweight wrestlers in Iowa, got a tattoo honoring his father, slain Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony Beminio, a month after his father was killed.(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)

“A lot of the time, he’d say, ‘Get you knees off the mat,’ or, ‘Get more forward pressure,'" Cameron Beminio said. "He’d always say 'forward pressure, forward pressure.' That was pounded into my head as a little kid.

“Even now, when I wrestle, I can always hear his voice in the back of my head.”

The public gathers for the procession for Des Moines police Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio along Jordan Creek Parkway after funeral services at the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa, Monday Nov. 7, 2016.
Rodney White/The Register

A Des Moines fireman prepares to hoist a U.S. flag over the route of the procession for Des Moines police Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio after funeral services at the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa, Monday Nov. 7, 2016.
Rodney White/The Register

Des Moines police Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio was killed while on duty Wednesday Nov. 2, 2016. “The night he died he was doing what he loved to do.” said Frank Beminio, Tony’s father.
Rodney White from Register and contributed photos